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Ultrastructural Classification of Pituitary Adenomas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

E. Horvath  and
K. Kovacs
E. Horvath*
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
K. Kovacs
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*
Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario MSB IW8 Canada
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Forty-eight surgically removed pituitary adenomas have been investigated hy electron microscopy. Distinct differences in fine structural appearances permitted their separation into 5 classes: 1) Growth hormone, (GH)-cell tumors; 2) Prolactin cell tumors; 3) Mixed adenomas composed of GH and prolactin cell's; 4) Adrenocorticotrophic-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (ACTH-MSH) cell tumors; 5) Undifferentiated cell adenomas. Densely and sparsely granulated tumors were distinguished within forms appeared to represent well defined entities, they may be variants of the same tumor differing only in pace of hormone production and/or release. Number and size of secretory granules varied considerably among tumors composed of the same cell type indicating that pituitary tumor classification cannot be based solely on granule morphology. This classification takes into account morphogenesis with emphasis on clinical features and structure-function relationship.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , February 1976 , pp. 9 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1976

References

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